young fellows, always to be depended upon by their employers.

"It's nothing but your pizen luck, Sadie," murmured Mrs. Thomas.

"We must allow that Providence has been kinder to you than most,"
remarked Gallito sardonically.

"It's a reward," said Mrs. Nitschkan with calm assurance, refilling her
pipe with more care than she had ever bestowed upon her children. "It's
'cause I ain't ever shirked an' left the Lord to do all my work for me."

At this Mrs. Thomas, too overcome to speak, tottered feebly back from
the stove and fell weakly into a chair.

"No, sir," continued the gypsy with arrogant virtue, "the trouble with
all the parents I know, includin' present company, is that they're too
easy. I don't work no claim expectin' to get nothin' out of it, do I?
And I don't bring a lot of kids into the world and spend years teachin'
'em manners--"

She was interrupted here by a brief and scornful laugh from Mrs. Thomas,
who, on observing that her friend was gazing at her earnestly and
ominously, hastily converted it into a fit of coughing.

"Spend years teachin' 'em manners an' sacrifice myself to stay at home
and punish 'em when I might be jantin' 'round myself, not to have 'em
turn out a credit to me."

There was a finality about the statements which seemed to admit of no
further discussion, but after José had escorted the two women to their